Windows build not working on windows xp

[derekkepler]

Hello,

I downloaded the windows build from here:

http://rg3.github.com/youtube-dl/windows.html

It works perfectly on Windows7 but not on Windows XP. I made sure Python 3.3 is installed on my xp machine. When I launch (double click) the "youtube-dl" exe file I get the following error:

"This application has failed to start because the application configuration is incorrect".

When I try to use the command line "youtube-dl "AnyYouTubeUrl"" I get:
"The system cannot execute the specified program"

What am I missing?

Thanks,
Derek

[derekkepler]

I uninstalled Python 3.3 and installed Python 2.7 and it works now.

[phihag]

The exe file should work no matter what Python version is instaleld, so this is a genuine bug.

[FiloSottile]

Wow, that's puzzling... I'll have to do some research.

[bonacker]

On my XP SP3 machine, it works the same as the earlier versions which is to say: fine.

I downloaded the Windows executable from https://github.com/rg3/youtube-dl/raw/master/youtube-dl.exe at 2am PT 12/21/12. It had a file size of 3,790,446. When I ran it the first time it wanted to update itself resulting in a new file size of 3,994,419.

I'm curious what those 200KB were. Why couldn't they have been included in the original file? Did it fetch something on the net, or just do some sort of unpacking within itself?

With respect to "We now provide an experimental Windows build." Are these more experimental than the previous builds? I see that the usual place I've been going to for Windows exe's (https://github.com/rg3/youtube-dl/archive/master.zip) still has the latest youtube-dl.exe in the zip file. So Im a little confused with what's going on. But all roads seem to lead to the same file which works well, so I really have no complaints.

[FiloSottile]

On my XP SP3 machine, it works the same as the earlier versions which is to say: fine.
I downloaded the Windows executable from https://github.com/rg3/youtube-dl/raw/master/youtube-dl.exe at 2am PT 12/21/12. It had a file size of 3,790,446. When I ran it the first time it wanted to update itself resulting in a new file size of 3,994,419.
I'm curious what those 200KB were. Why couldn't they have been included in the original file? Did it fetch something on the net, or just do some sort of unpacking within itself?

That version only contains a self-updater, that fetches the real version from the new location.

Turns out that the program is only 200kB, all the other is the Python interpreter.

With respect to "We now provide an experimental Windows build." Are these more experimental than the previous builds? I see that the usual place I've been going to for Windows exe's (https://github.com/rg3/youtube-dl/archive/master.zip) still has the latest youtube-dl.exe in the zip file. So Im a little confused with what's going on. But all roads seem to lead to the same file which works well, so I really have no complaints.

The youtube-dl.exe in the zip file is only the self-updater, because we decided to stop tracking the huge exe files in the repo. So we will not update that exe anymore, but that exe knows how to update itself.

The new location should have been the Downloads section (https://github.com/rg3/youtube-dl/ (https://github.com/rg3/youtube-dl/archive/master.zip)downloads), but GitHub is now shutting it down :( so we are in the process of switching again location and updating one last time the auto-updater.

[charlieb000]

I have had a similar problem, I first had it working on Windows XP Professional with python-3.4.1.msi when i wished to run it on a Windows XP Home Edition computer (EEEpc) I got the exact same issue and fixed it with the same solution, python-2.7.msi
Interestingly, if i uninstall 3.4.1 on the Professional computer youtube-DL continues to work. but i get the error returning on the Home when i uninstall 2.7. So i am running it without python on the Professional computer now.

Here is my PATH, perhaps its in there? Path=C:\WINDOWS\system32;C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\System32\Wbem*;C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI.ACE\Core-Static;C:\Program Files\Intel\WiFi\bin;C:\Program Files\Common Files\Intel\WirelessCommon;C:\WINDOWS\system32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0;C:\Program Files\Intel\WiFi\bin;C:\Program Files\Common Files\Intel\WirelessCommon;C:\Program Files\GPAC

*up to here is what my Home machine has, only.

Youtube-DL with python 2.7 on Home: -F, -f 18/5 (or -f 18) and --list-formats does not work. the response is download "best" (perhaps a command is not implimented in 2.7?). No issue with the professional with python removed however.

[mikeduk]

I have the same issue on XP.. the exe runs fine on Win8 but XP throws the error that has been reported.

Installing Python 2.7.7 resolves the issue but I'm a little confused on how this exe works, is it supposed to include python with it, so python does not need to be installed? (python is not installed on one of my win8 machines and the exe runs fine).

That being the case, is there something about windows xp that needs Python 2.7.7 installing for it to run?

[charlieb000]

A followup, i cant remember what i did but on the XP pro pc, as i said above did work without pithon, but something caused -f to not work, i installed both, rebooted, same. uninstalled 2.7 and reboot, worked, uninstalled 3.4 reboot and it worked. So its weird.

[kkcosmo]

I can confirm that I just received the same error message on windows xp (with the last set of updates available). Installing python 2.7 fixed it.